Mpyemo, spoken in the Central African Republic, is the mother-language of some 30,000 people. They have established churches and a large group of Christians, but they can’t access the Bible in their language.
However, they are working to change that. One of the projects that they have decided to begin is the translation of the JESUS Film into Mpyemo. The JESUS Film script is based on the Gospel of Luke and there are now more than 1,000 translations of the film.
Rev Athanase Malaguis is eager to have it in his language will have. “I am so happy to learn that the Jesus Film is going ahead,” he said, “and that we will have it in our language. It will make our job of evangelism much easier.”
But the effects of Bible translation are much wider than just a film production. Rev Athanase is hoping that literacy classes in churches will begin, equipping people to read the Bible. And the change that comes with having the Bible in the mother-tongue is already starting to show. At local meetings, people are starting to pray in their mother-tongue language, where before they always prayed in a second language.
“When someone prays in their own language, they feel a special joy.” Rev Athanase’s excitement is evident: “I am ready to give all my time at such meetings because I want to go on growing in the joy of learning to pray in my own language before I die.”
I live in an English-speaking culture, and it seems natural for me to pray in my mother-tongue. But where people don’t have the Bible in their mother-tongue, relationship with God – through his word, and through prayer and praise – is in a foreign language. Help them get to know God in their own language.
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This year we know that 4.8 billion of the now 7 billion people on the planet have the Bible available in their first language. Nearly 600 million more have the New Testament.
We know about many wonders God is doing through Bible translation, but we also know more about the people who have never heard. There are still 350 million people, speaking 2,040 languages, without access to the Bible in a language they understand best. 
Her journey from the town took her 5 hours over rough roads. But her trip was just a glimpse into the daily life of the literacy and Scripture use coordinator working there. He travels 11km, there and back, over the rough roads on a motorbike every day that he needs to come to the office.
Earlier this month, we hosted the ninth of ten Understanding the Scriptures evening classes. Margaret Sim spoke on ‘Does the Bible mean what it says?’ focusing on the use of metaphor and irony in the Bible.
Hands waved in Deaf “applause” and feet danced in heartfelt praise to God, as Njatha Paul Ndungu, Director of DOOR Africa (Deaf Opportunity Out Reach), was officially “knighted” as a consultant commissioned to work with sign language translation.
As we think about the celebrations and joy of this Christmas, it’s natural to think about the lives of others here and around the world in more need than us. Getting your Christmas cards from Just Cards Direct is an easy way to make loving others part of your holidays this year.
As we came together to pray at the Horsleys Green office this week, we were once more overwhelmed and inspired at all that God has done and is doing amongst minority language groups across the globe. We were filled again with a great sense of privilege at being part of such a huge diversity, yet drawn together by God Himself to serve His purposes in a common cause: that everyone on earth should be able to know His love through His word in their own mother tongue.